Apparatus for separation of minerals



y 1938- R. o. STOKES EH1 2,119,185

7 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATION OF MINERALS Filed Deq. 26, 1955 4%/MWM Patented May 31, 1938 PATENT OFlFliZE APPARATUS FOR SEPARATION OF MINERALS Rupert Octavius Stokes and John Caldwell Allan, London, England Application December 26, 1935, Serial No. 56,298 In Great Britain December 29, 1934 1 Claim.

The invention relates to apparatus for the separation or classification of minerals of the type in which the material to be classified or separated is supported on a perforated tray immersed in water and in which there is relative movement between the water and the tray.

In a jigging screen such as the Hancock, a perforated screen is provided with upright dividing walls which divide it up into compartments or boxes with perforated bottoms, and ragging or material of higher specific gravity and of a size slightly larger than the screen perforations is filled into these compartments. The invention is directed to a particular form of screen allowing for easy removal and renewal of the perforated bottoms. According to the invention a table for separating or classifying minerals with means for reciprocating it in an up and down direction in water comprises side walls and removable box-like structures with sloping perforated tops and open bottoms in which adjustable apertures are provided adjacent to the lower end of the sloping perforated part in communication with the upper side of the said perforated part and the under side of the adjacent perforated part.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the moving table,

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional end elevations of the same taken on the lines IIII and IIIIII of Figure 1 respectively and looking in the directicn of the arrows, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the discharge apertures and valves.

Referring to the drawing, a jig for ore concentration is provided with known means: for reciprocating it in water, and is divided in the example shown into three compartments and in each compartment the floor is made up of four box-like structures 38 to 4| with sloping perforated tops. Of these 38 and 39 are of the same height right across and 40 and 4! have in the middle a gradually deepening channel to urge the heavier material towards the centre, at which position the discharge gate is mounted. The boxes 38 to 4| are supported on inward flanges at the lower edges of the side walls of the table 5 and are held down against them by boards 63 one on each side with wedges 42 under flanges 43 at the top of the table sides.

A chute 44 serves for the supply of raw material and make-up water. Under the influence of the table movement the material moves from left to right in Figure l and heaps up against the rear wall of. the boxes 38 of the next compartments and against the end wall in the last compartment. The upper, lighter material (gangue) passes over to the next compartment or over the end wall to the discharge spout 6, whence it is taken to other parts of the plant not concerned in the present invention.

The heavier ore collects at the centre of the lower right hand end of each compartment and may be discharged continuously if the raw material has a fairly high ore content. If on the other hand the ore content is low the discharge may be intermittent to allow a reasonable quantity to accumulate between discharges.

In either case the gate shown in. Figure 4 is used. A valve or slider 41 with an inverted V-shaped notch in it is guided against the transverse wall of the adjacent compartment by a strap 48 adjustable in height and is moved up and down by a rod 49. The strap 48 is adjusted by means of slotted bolt holes. It will be seen that the discharge aperture 46 is in the form of a trapezium of. adjustable width and height in the transverse wall. A guide member 93 behind the discharge aperture 46 localizes the discharge. The cross-section of the path traversed by the ore is, however, made greater than the largest opening 46 of the valve 41.

What we claim is:-

A table for separating or classifying minerals with means for reciprocating it in an up and down direction in water comprising side walls and removable box-like structures with sloping perforated tops and open bottoms in which adjustable apertures are provided adjacent to the lower end of the sloping perforated part in communication with the upper side of the said perforated part and the under side of the adjacent perforated part.

RUPERT OCTAVIUS STOKES. JOHN CALDWELL ALLAN. 

